Transient voltage supressor with a punch-through silicon controlled rectifier low-side steering diode

ABSTRACT

A transient voltage suppressor (TVS) device uses a punch-through silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) structure for the low-side steering diode where the punch-through SCR structure realizes low capacitance at the protected node. In some embodiments, the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier of the low-side steering diode includes a first doped region formed in a first epitaxial layer, a first well formed spaced apart from the first doped region where the first well is not biased to any electrical potential, and a second doped region formed in the first well. The first doped region, the first epitaxial layer, the first well and the second doped region form the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier, with the first doped region forming the anode and the second doped region forming the cathode of the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier.

CROSS REFERENCE TO OTHER APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/172,314, entitled LOW CAPACITANCE TRANSIENT VOLTAGE SUPPRESSORINCLUDING A PUNCH-THROUGH SILICON CONTROLLED RECTIFIER AS LOW-SIDESTEERING DIODE, filed Oct. 26, 2018, which is incorporated herein byreference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Voltage and current transients are major causes of integrated circuitfailure in electronic systems. Transients are generated from a varietyof sources both internal and external to the system. For instance,common sources of transients include normal switching operations ofpower supplies, AC line fluctuations, lightning surges, andelectrostatic discharge (ESD).

Transient voltage suppressors (TVS) are commonly employed for protectingintegrated circuits from damages due to the occurrences of transients orover-voltage conditions at the integrated circuit. Over-voltageprotection are important for consumer devices or the Internet of Thingsdevices as these electronic devices are exposed to frequent humanhandling and, as a result, may be susceptible to ESD or transientvoltage events that may damage the devices.

In particular, the power supply pins and the data pins of the electronicdevices both require protection from over-voltages conditions due to ESDevents or switching and lightning transient events. Typically, the powersupply pins need high surge protection but can tolerate protectiondevices with higher capacitance. Meanwhile, the data pins, which mayoperate at high data speed, requires protection devices that providesurge protection with low capacitance so as not to interfere with thedata speed of the protected data pins.

Existing TVS protection solution applied to input/output (I/O) terminalsin high speed applications exist both in vertical and lateral type ofsemiconductor circuit structures. In the unidirectional TVS, the I/Ocurrent during an ESD event flows through a low capacitance high sidesteering diode into a large reverse blocking junction or the currentflows through the low capacitance low side steering diode to ground. Inthe case of bidirectional TVS protection, low capacitance is achieved byconnecting a low capacitance forward biased diode in series with a largereversed biased junction for blocking. For high speed applications,there is a need to lower the breakdown voltage, the capacitance and theclamping voltage of TVS protection devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the invention are disclosed in the followingdetailed description and the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device in alternateembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 4, which includes FIG. 4a , is a top view of a TVS protectiondevice in embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a TVS protection device in embodiments of thepresent invention.

FIG. 6, which includes FIG. 6a , is a top view of a TVS protectiondevice in alternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram of a unidirectional TVS protection devicein alternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In embodiments of the present invention, a low capacitance transientvoltage suppressor (TVS) device uses a punch-through silicon controlledrectifier (SCR) structure for the high-side steering diode and/or thelow-side steering diode where the punch-through SCR structure realizeslow capacitance at the protected node. Furthermore, in some embodiments,the breakdown voltage of the TVS device can be tailored by connectingtwo or more forward biased diodes in series. The low capacitance TVSdevice can be configured for unidirectional or bidirectionalapplications. More specifically, in some embodiments, the TVS devicerealizes low capacitance at the protected nodes by fully or almostcompletely depleting the P-N junction connected to the protected node inthe operating voltage range of the protected node. In this manner, theTVS device does not present undesirable parasitic capacitance to datapins being protected, especially when the data pins are used in highspeed applications.

In the present description, a transient voltage suppressor (TVS)protection device refers to a protection device to protect a protectednode from over-voltage transient conditions, such as voltage surges orvoltage spikes. The TVS protection device (“TVS device”) operates byshunting the excess current from the protected node when a surge voltageexceeding the breakdown voltage of the TVS device is applied to theprotected node. A TVS device can be either a unidirectional device or abidirectional device. A unidirectional TVS has an asymmetricalcurrent-voltage characteristic and is typically used for protectingcircuit nodes whose signals are unidirectional—that is, the signals arealways above or below a certain reference voltage, such as ground. Forexample, a unidirectional TVS may be used to protect a circuit nodewhose normal signal is a positive voltage from 0V to 5V.

On the other hand, a bidirectional TVS has a symmetrical current-voltagecharacteristics and is typically used for protecting circuit nodes whosesignals are bidirectional or can have voltage levels both above andbelow the reference voltage, such as ground. For example, abidirectional TVS may be used to protect a circuit node whose normalsignal varies symmetrically above and below ground, such as from −12V to12V. In this case, the bidirectional TVS protects the circuit node froma surge voltage that goes below −12 V or above 12V.

In operation, the TVS device is in a blocking mode and is non-conductiveexcept for possible leakage current when the voltage at the protectednode is below the breakdown voltage of the TVS device, sometimesreferred to as a reverse standoff voltage. That is, when the voltage atthe protected node is within the normal voltage range for the protectednode, the TVS device is non-conductive and is in blocking mode. However,during the blocking mode, the TVS device presents a capacitance to theprotected node. When the protected node is associated with a high speeddata pin, the capacitance of the TVS device in the blocking mode ornon-conductive mode should be low so as not to impede the high speedoperation of the data pin.

In some embodiments, the TVS device of the present invention realizes alow capacitance value of less than 0.2 pf in the blocking mode.Furthermore, the TVS device of the present invention can realize lowbreakdown voltage of 1 volt or less. The low capacitance and lowbreakdown voltage TVS device of the present invention can beadvantageously applied to protect high-speed data pins or input-output(I/O) terminals in high speed electronic applications, such as data pinsin USB3.1 data bus, HDMI-2.0 data bus, or V by One cables. As anexample, the data signal may have a voltage amplitude of 0.4V.

The TVS device of the present invention realizes many advantages overconventional TVS devices. First, the TVS device of the present inventionis constructed to ensure that the current path of the surge currentflows in the lateral direction only through the semiconductor devicestructure of the TVS device. The lateral current flow improves theclamping voltage of the TVS device by reducing the resistance in thecurrent path. Second, the breakdown voltage of the TVS device can betailored to a desired value by stacking two or more forward bias diodesin series.

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a TVSprotection device 10 (“TVS device 10”) includes two sets of steeringdiodes coupled to provide surge protection for two input-output (I/O)terminals I/O1 and I/O2. Each set of steering diodes include a high-sidesteering diode and a low-side steering diode. More specifically, ahigh-side steering diode DH1 and a low-side steering diode DL1 arecoupled to the I/O terminal I/O1 as the protected node. Meanwhile, ahigh-side steering diode DH2 and a low-side steering diode DL2 arecoupled to the I/O terminal I/O2 as the protected node. The I/O terminalI/O1 is connected to the anode of the high-side steering diode DH1 andto the cathode of the low-side steering diode DL1. Similarly, the I/Oterminal I/O2 is connected to the anode of the high-side steering diodeDH2 and to the cathode of the low-side steering diode DL2. The cathodeterminal of the high-side steering diode DH1 is connected to a node N1which is also the anode of the low-side steering diode DL2. The cathodeterminal of the high-side steering diode DH2 is connected to a node N2which is also the anode of the low-side steering diode DL1.

In embodiments of the present invention, the low-side steering diodes ofthe TVS device 10 are each implemented using a punch-through siliconcontrolled rectifier structure (referred herein as “PT-SCR”). In thepresent description, a SCR is a current-controlling device includingfour layers or regions of alternating P-type and N-type semiconductormaterials, forming NPNP or PNPN structures. The anode of an SCR is theoutermost p-type layer of the NPNP or PNPN structure, and the cathode isthe outermost n-type layer of the NPNP or PNPN structure, while the gateof the SCR is connected to the p-type layer nearest to the cathode. AnSCR can be symbolized as a PN junction diode with a gate terminal at thecathode terminal. As used herein, a punch-through silicon controlledrectifier refers to an SCR where the n-type region between two p-typeregions is substantially depleted at a bias voltage of zero volt. Thatis, the two p-type regions separated by the n-type region areelectrically shorted together at zero volt bias voltage due to thedepletion of the n-type region. The PT-SCR structure ensures lowcapacitance at the protected node.

In operation, when a positive zap is applied to I/O terminal I/O1 withrespect to I/O terminal I/O2, the current flows from terminal I/O1through diode DH1, diode DL2 (PT-SCR) and into terminal I/O2. Similarly,when a negative zap is applied to I/O terminal I/O1 with respect to I/Oterminal I/O2, which is equivalent to a positive zap on terminal I/O2with respect to terminal I/O1, the current flows from terminal I/O2through diode DH2, diode DL1 (PT-SCR) and into terminal I/O1.

In other words, a positive zap voltage applied to either of the I/Oterminals will forward bias the high-side steering diode (DH1 or DH2) ofthe I/O terminal being zapped and when the zap voltage reaches orexceeds the breakdown voltage (BV) of the punch-through SCR structure ofthe low-side steering diode (DL2 or DL1), the zap current triggers theSCR and the SCR structure of the respective low-side steering diodeturns on to conduct the current. The zap current exits through the otherI/O terminal. A negative zap voltage applied to either of the I/Oterminals will result in the same current conduction operation as if apositive zap voltage is applied to the other I/O terminal.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention. In particular, the TVS protectiondevice of FIG. 2 illustrates the construction of the TVS device 10 ofFIG. 1 in some embodiments. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 2illustrates circuit elements of the TVS device 10 including thehigh-side steering diode DH1 and the low-side steering diode DL2. It isunderstood that FIG. 2 illustrates only part of the TVS protectiondevice and that the TVS protection device includes other elements notshown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 2, the TVS protection device 100 (“TVS device 100”) isfabricated on a P+ substrate 102. In the present embodiment, a P-typeepitaxial layer 104 is formed on the P+ substrate 102. Then, an N-typeburied layer (NBL) 106 are formed on the P-type epitaxial layer 104. AnN-type epitaxial layer (N-Epi layer) 108 is formed on the N-type buriedlayer 106. The semiconductor structure for forming the TVS device isthus constructed.

In the present embodiment, trench isolation structures 120 are used todefine and isolate regions of the semiconductor structure for formingthe separate circuit elements. In the present embodiment, the trenchisolation structures 120 are formed as oxide lined trenches filled witha polysilicon layer 118 and the trenches extend to the P+ substrate 102.In other embodiments, the trench isolation structures 120 can be formedas oxide filled trenches.

With the trench isolation structures 120 thus formed, regions in thesemiconductor structure for forming the high-side steering diode and thelow-side steering diode are defined. In the present embodiment, thehigh-side steering diode DH1 is formed as a PN junction diode with theanode formed by a heavily doped P+ region 110 and the cathode formed bya heavily doped N+ region 112, both formed in the N-type epitaxial layer108. As thus configured, the TVS device 100 presents low capacitance tothe I/O terminal I/O1 connected to the P+ region 110 because the N-typeepitaxial layer 108 is lightly doped.

In the present embodiment, an N-well region 114 is formed under the N+region 112 to form a deep junction. The deep junction formed by theN-well 114 has the effect of reducing the clamping voltage. N-wellregion 114 is optional and may be omitted in other embodiments of thepresent invention.

A metal contact 124 is made in the dielectric layer 122 to contact theP+ region 110 to form the anode terminal of the high-side steering diodeDH1. Meanwhile, another metal contact 126 is made in the dielectriclayer 122 to contact the N+ region 112 to form the cathode terminal ofthe high-side steering diode DH1. For the high-side steering diode DH1,the anode terminal 124 is connected to the I/O terminal I/O1 and thecathode terminal 126 is connected to the node N1 which is then connectedto the anode of the low-side steering diode DL2 for the I/O terminalI/O2.

In embodiments of the present invention, the low-side steering diode DL2for the I/O terminal I/O2 is formed using a punch-through siliconcontrolled rectifier (PT-SCR) structure. In the present embodiment, thePT-SCR structure is formed by a PNPN structure including a P+ region111, the N-type epitaxial layer 108, the P-well 116 and an N+ region113. The P+ region 111 and the P-Well 116 are both formed in the N-typeepitaxial layer 108. The N+ region 113 is formed in the P-well 116. TheP-well 116 is floating, that is, the P-well 116 is not electricallyconnected to or biased to any electrical potential. The metal contact126 is made in the dielectric layer 122 to also contact the P+ region111 to form the anode terminal of the PT-SCR of the low-side steeringdiode DL2. Meanwhile, a metal contact 128 is made in the dielectriclayer 122 to contact the N+ region 113 to form the cathode terminal ofthe PT-SCR of the low-side steering diode DL2. For the low-side steeringdiode DL2, the anode terminal 126 is connected to the node N1 which isthen connected to the cathode (N+ region 112) of the high-side steeringdiode DH1 for the I/O terminal I/O1 and the cathode terminal 128 isconnected to the I/O terminal I/O2. By keeping the P-well 116 floating,the capacitance as seen at the I/O terminal (node 128) is reduced. Inparticular, the P-well 116 to N-type epitaxial layer 108 junctionrealizes low capacitance for the I/O terminal I/O2.

In operation, the N-Epi layer 108 is depleted from the P+ region 111 tothe P-well 116 at a bias voltage of zero volt due to the highresistivity N-Epi layer 108, thereby forming the punch-through SCRstructure. Thus, at 0V, the P+ region 111 is shorted to the P-well 116and the PNP transistor of the SCR, formed by the P+ region 111, theN-Epitaxial layer 108 and the P-well 116, is punched through. In thismanner, the SCR structure (P+, N-Epi, P-well, N+) is turned on all thetime but the PT-SCR structure behaves like a diode while providing lowcapacitance at the I/O terminal I/O2. That is, while the low-sidesteering diode DL2 is implemented using a SCR structure, the SCR behavesas a diode in operation.

In some embodiments, the TVS device 100 further reduces the capacitanceat the I/O terminal by using a thick inter-layer dielectric layer 122 orusing a double metal layer structure.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device in alternateembodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 3, the TVSprotection device 140 (“TVS device 140”) is constructed in the samemanner as the TVS device 100 of FIG. 2 except for the additional P+region 142 formed in the P-well. More specifically, the punch-throughSCR structure of the low-side steering diode DL2 includes the P+ region142 formed in the P-well 116. The P+ region 142 is spaced apart from theN+ region 113. The P+ region 142 is also floating, that is the P+ regionis not electrically connected to or biased to any electrical potential.With the P+ region 142 and the P-well 116 both left floating, the P-well116 will still breakdown in a high voltage zap event. However, the N+region 113 and the P+ region 142 will conduct in the reverse biasdirection and will breakdown in the reverse bias direction.

In embodiments of the present invention, the TVS protection devices ofFIGS. 2 and 3 are constructed to present a low capacitance at theprotected node (the I/O terminal), such as less than 0.2 pF, and to havea low breakdown voltage, such as less than 1V. In other embodiments, thedoping level of the N-type epitaxial layer of the TVS protection devicecan be adjusted to adjust the breakdown voltage. In some applications, ahigher breakdown voltage may be desired, such as to reduce the leakagecurrent. In some embodiments, the doping level of the N-type epitaxiallayer 108 can be decreased so as to increase the breakdown voltage ofthe PT-SCR structure. In some examples, a TVS device with a 5V breakdownvoltage can be realized.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate part of the TVS protection device including thehigh-side steering diode of a first I/O terminal and the low-sidesteering diode of a second I/O terminal. It is understood that the TVSprotection device includes a low-side steering diode, formed using thesame PT-SCR structure, for the first I/O terminal and a high-sidesteering diode for the second I/O terminal.

In the embodiments shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the low-side steering diodesof the TVS device are formed using the PT-SCR structure. In otherembodiments, the high-side steering diodes of the TVS protection deviceare formed using the PT-SCR structure while the low-side steering diodesare formed as conventional PN junction diodes. In yet other embodiments,both the high-side steering diodes and the low-side steering diodes ofthe TVS device are formed using the PT-SCR structure.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 13,the TVS protection device 400 (“TVS device 400”) is constructed in thesame manner as the TVS device 100 of FIG. 2 except for the additionalN-well 144 formed in the N-Epitaxial layer. More specifically, thepunch-through SCR structure of the low-side steering diode DL2 includesthe N-well 144 formed in the N-Epitaxial layer 108. The N-well 144 isformed between the P+ region 111 and the P-well 116. The N-well 144 isfloating, that is the N-well 144 is not electrically connected to orbiased to any electrical potential. N-well 144 can be included in theTVS device 400 to increase the doping level of the n-type region of thePT-SCR structure and thereby increasing the breakdown voltage of the TVSdevice.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 14,the TVS protection device 450 (“TVS device 450”) is constructed in thesame manner as the TVS device 100 of FIG. 2 except for the additionalN-type compensation region 146 formed in the N-Epitaxial layer. Morespecifically, the punch-through SCR structure of the low-side steeringdiode DL2 includes the N-type compensation region 146 formed in theN-Epitaxial layer 108 and housing the P+ region 111. That is, the P+region 111 is formed inside the N-type compensation region 146. TheN-type compensation region 146 has the effect of increasing the dopinglevel of the N-Epitaxial layer 108 and therefore increasing thebreakdown voltage. The N-type compensation region 146 may have a dopinglevel similar to the N-well doping level. Alternately, the N-typecompensation region 146 may have a doping level different from theN-well doping level. The doping level for the N-type compensation region146 may be selected to realize the desired breakdown voltage for thePT-SCR device.

FIG. 4, which includes FIG. 4a , is a top view of a TVS protectiondevice in embodiments of the present invention. The circuit diagram ofthe TVS device 10 of FIG. 1 is reproduced as FIG. 4a in FIG. 4. FIG. 4is provided to illustrate the overall physical layout of the TVSprotection device but is not intended to be limiting. One of ordinaryskill in the art would appreciate that the actual physical layout of theTVS protection device may be different and may include other elementsnot shown in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 4, a TVS protection device 150 of the presentinvention is formed in a semiconductor layer. In the present embodiment,the semiconductor layer 152 includes a P+ semiconductor substrate with aP-type epitaxial layer formed thereon, an N-buried layer form on theP-type epitaxial layer and an N-type epitaxial layer formed on theN-buried layer. The TVS protection device (“TVS device”) 150 includesmultiple fingers of semiconductor regions arranged laterally along afirst direction on a major surface of the semiconductor layer 152. Eachfinger is formed by a first doped region and a second doped region ofopposite conductivity types arranged lengthwise in a second directionalong an axis orthogonal to the first direction on the major surface ofthe semiconductor layer. The multiple fingers are arranged so thatadjacent fingers are formed by doped regions of opposite conductivitytypes. That is, a first finger may be formed with a first doped regionof the first conductivity type and a second doped region of the secondconductivity type. Then, a second finger, adjacent to the first finger,will be formed with a first doped region of the second conductivity typeand a second doped region of the first conductivity type.

As thus configured, the TVS device 150 includes a region 154 in whichthe diode structure for the high-side steering diode is formed and aregion 156 in which the PT-SCR structure for the low-side steering diodeis formed. Element 170 denotes the trench isolation structure.Conductive lines connect the diodes and the PT-SCR structures to formthe TVS device of FIG. 4a . For example, conductive lines are used toconnect the anode of the high-side steering diode to the I/O terminalI/O1 and to connect the cathode of the high-side steering diode to thePT-SCR structure of the low-side steering diode of I/O terminal I/O2.

In embodiments of the present invention, the I/O terminal is formed by ametal pad 158. In some embodiments, the metal pad 158 is a metal2 layer.An opening 160 in the passivation layer is formed to expose a portion ofthe metal pad 158. Then a polyimide layer is formed and an opening 162in the polyimide layer is formed again to expose the portion of themetal pad 158. In some embodiments, the TVS device 150 is packaged usinga chip-scale semiconductor package and the metal pad 158 is used as apad for forming one or more copper pillar bumps thereon to form thecontacts of the I/O terminals. With using copper pillar bumps, the areaof the metal pad for the I/O terminal can be made smaller and thecapacitance at the I/O terminal can be significantly reduced.

In FIG. 4, the openings 160 and 162 to expose the metal pad 158 isformed as a single large rectangular opening. In other embodiments,multiple small openings can be used instead of a single large opening. Aseries of openings can be used with one or more copper pillar bumpsformed in each opening. In the case of chip-scale packing, an array ofcopper pillar bumps can be formed in the series of openings to providethe electrical connection to the metal pad.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a TVS protection device in alternate embodimentsof the present invention. Referring to FIG. 5, a TVS device 155 includesI/O terminals that are formed using separate metal pad portions 158,where each metal pad portion can be configured to receive one or morecopper pillar bump. In each metal pad portion, an opening 160 in thepassivation layer is formed to expose a portion of the metal pad 158.Then a polyimide layer is formed and an opening 162 in the polyimidelayer is formed again to expose the portion of the metal pad 158. Copperpillar bumps can then be formed in the openings 162 to form theelectrical connection to the metal pad portions 158. In this manner,electrical connection to the metal pad 158 can be accomplished whilereducing the capacitance at the I/O terminals.

In the conventional TVS device, a bond pad sufficiently large toaccommodate a bond wire is used to form the I/O terminal. The bond padintroduces a large amount of capacitance to the I/O terminal. In theembodiments described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5, the traditionalbond pad structure is eliminated. Instead, the metal pad 158 having asmaller dimension than a bond pad is used. In some cases, the TVS deviceis packaged using chip-scale packaging and copper pillar bumps may beused to connect to the metal pad. In this manner, the parasiticcapacitance introduced by using a large bond pad for accommodating abond wire is eliminated and the TVS device can realize even lowercapacitance at the I/O terminal.

In alternate embodiments of the present invention, instead of formingthe metal pad 158 to the sides of the diode/PT-SCR structures in aninactive area, the metal pad 158 can be positioned directly on thediodes/PT-SCR structures, that is in the active area of the devicedefined by regions 154 and 156. Vias can be used to connect theconductive lines contacting the doped regions to the overlying metalpad.

In some applications, a TVS protection device having increased breakdownvoltage is desired. Increasing the breakdown voltage of the TVSprotection device has the effect of reducing the leakage current throughthe TVS protection device. In some embodiments, the TVS protectiondevice is constructed using a stacked diode structure to increase thebreakdown voltage and decrease the leakage current. FIG. 6, whichincludes FIG. 6a , is a top view of a TVS protection device in alternateembodiments of the present invention. FIG. 6a illustrates the circuitdiagram of the TVS protection device in some embodiments. FIG. 6 isprovided to illustrate the overall physical layout of the TVS protectiondevice but is not intended to be limiting. One of ordinary skill in theart would appreciate that the actual physical layout of the TVSprotection device may be different and may include other elements notshown in FIG. 6.

Referring to FIG. 6a , a TVS device 20 is constructed in a similarmanner as TVS device 10 of FIG. 1 except that the high-side steeringdiode is formed using a stacked diode structure. In particular, TVSdevice 20 includes a pair of serially connected diodes DH1 a and DH1 bas the high-side steering diode for the I/O terminal I/O1. TVS device 20further includes a pair of serially connected diodes DH2 a and DH2 b asthe high-side steering diode for the I/O terminal I/O2. In the presentdescription, a stacked diode structure refers to two or more diodes thatare connected in series where cathode of one diode is connected to theanode of the other diode. The anode of the first diode in the series iscoupled to the I/O terminal and the cathode of the last diode in theseries is coupled to the floating node (N1 or N2).

The stacked diode structure is effective in increasing the breakdownvoltage of the TVS device without increasing the capacitance at the I/Oterminals. In particular, each I/O terminal is connected to thepunch-through SCR structure as the low-side steering diode which ensureslow capacitance. Meanwhile, the high-side steering diode is implementedusing the stacked diode structure where the one or more additionaldiodes in series add additional diode voltage drop to the breakdownvoltage. For example, diode DH1 b adds an additional 0.7 volt voltagedrop to the breakdown voltage. However, adding diode DH1 b does not addadditional capacitance to the I/O terminal as the stacked diode (DH1 b,DH2 b) is not connected to the I/O terminal. Accordingly, in someembodiments, the stacked diode (DH1 b, DH2 b) can be constructed with alarge device size so as to achieve low resistance and improve theclamping voltage.

FIG. 6 illustrates the layout of a TVS protection device implementingthe TVS device 20 of FIG. 6a . Referring to FIG. 6, the TVS protectiondevice 180 (“TVS device 180”) is constructed in a similar manner as theTVS protection device 150 of FIG. 4 except for the stacked diode and theI/O terminal structure. As shown in FIG. 6, the TVS device 180 includesa region 184 in which the first diode (DH1 a, DH2 a) for the high-sidesteering diode is formed and a region 186 in which the PT-SCR structurefor the low-side steering diode is formed. The TVS device 180 furtherincludes a region 188 in which the stacked diodes (DH1 b, DH2 b) areformed. As illustrated in FIG. 6, each stacked diode (DH1 b, DH2 b) isformed using a device area much larger than the device area for thefirst diode (DH1 a, DH2 a). In this manner, the TVS protection device180 realizes increased breakdown voltage with reduced resistance andlowered leakage while maintaining the same low capacitance at the I/Oterminals.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, each of the I/O terminals is formedusing a metal pad structure 190 to form a bond pad 195 for receiving abond wire. FIG. 6 illustrates an example of the traditional bond padconnection. As explained above the bond pad 195 may introduce additionalcapacitance to the I/O terminal due to its size and the capacitance tothe silicon substrate below. When further reduction in capacitance isdesired, the metal pad structure described with reference to FIGS. 4 and5 can be used to form the connection to the I/O terminals. The metal padstructure 190 and bond pad 195 in FIG. 6 are illustrative only and notintended to be limiting.

In the embodiment described in FIG. 6, the stacked diode structureincludes a pair of serially connected diodes. FIG. 6 is illustrativeonly and not intended to be limiting. In other embodiments, the TVSdevice can be constructed using a stacked diode structure for thehigh-side steering diode (the forward bias diode) where the stackeddiode structure includes two or more serially connected diodes. Thenumber of diodes used is selected to realize the desired breakdownvoltage for the TVS device.

FIG. 7 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 7, a TVS device200 includes two sets of steering diodes coupled to provide surgeprotection for two input-output (I/O) terminals I/O1 and I/O2. Each setof steering diodes include a high-side steering diode and a low-sidesteering diode. More specifically, a high-side steering diode DH1 and alow-side steering diode DL1 are coupled to the I/O terminal I/O1 as theprotected node. Meanwhile, a high-side steering diode DH2 and a low-sidesteering diode DL2 are coupled to the I/O terminal I/O2 as the protectednode. The I/O terminal I/O1 is connected to the anode of the high-sidesteering diode DH1 and to the cathode of the low-side steering diodeDL1. Similarly, the I/O terminal I/O2 is connected to the anode of thehigh-side steering diode DH2 and to the cathode of the low-side steeringdiode DL2. The cathode terminals of diodes DH1 and DH2 are connected toa node N1. The anode terminals of diodes DL1 and DL2 are connected to anode N2.

The TVS device 200 also includes a blocking diode DB as a clamp device.In the example shown in FIG. 7, the blocking diode DB has a cathodeconnected to node N1 and an anode connected to node N2. In thebidirectional TVS device 200, the nodes N1 and N2 are floating, that is,nodes N1 and N2 are not electrically connected to or biased to anyelectrical potential.

In TVS device 200, the low-side steering diodes DL1 and DL2 areimplemented using the punch-through SCR structure described above withreference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In this manner, the TVS device 200 canrealize low capacitance at the I/O terminals.

In some embodiments, the clamp device is implemented using a diode and aSCR. In some embodiments, the clamp device can be constructed asdescribed in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/605,662, entitled LOW CAPACITANCE BIDIRECTIONAL TRANSIENT VOLTAGESUPPRESSOR, now U.S. Pat. No. 10,062,682, which is incorporated hereinby reference in its entirety. FIG. 8 is a circuit diagram of abidirectional TVS protection device in embodiments of the presentinvention. In particular, FIG. 8 illustrates a TVS protection device 220including a clamp device 240 formed by a diode-connected NMOS transistorM1 integrated with a diode triggered silicon controlled rectifier (SCR)having an anode, a cathode, and a gate. IN particular, the SCR is formedby a PNP bipolar transistor Q1 and an NPN bipolar transistor Q2. The TVSprotection device 220 is based on the TVS device 20 in FIG. 6 of theaforementioned '682 patent. The construction and operation of the clampdevice 240 is described in the '682 patent and the description will notbe repeated here. In brief, in response to a voltage applied to one ofthe protected nodes exceeding a given voltage level, the diode-connectedNMOS transistor triggers a current flow at the SCR and the SCR clampsthe voltage at the respective protected node at a clamping voltage. Inthe TVS protection device 220, the low-side steering diodes DL1 and DL2are implemented using the punch-through SCR structure described abovewith reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. In this manner, the TVS device 220 canrealize low capacitance at the I/O terminals.

FIG. 9 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 9, aTVS device 50 includes two sets of steering diodes coupled to providesurge protection for two input-output (I/O) terminals I/O1 and I/O2.Each set of steering diodes include a high-side steering diode and alow-side steering diode. More specifically, a high-side steering diodeDH1 and a low-side steering diode DL1 are coupled to the I/O terminalI/O1 as the protected node. Meanwhile, a high-side steering diode DH2and a low-side steering diode DL2 are coupled to the I/O terminal I/O2as the protected node. The I/O terminal I/O1 is connected to the anodeof the high-side steering diode DH1 and to the cathode of the low-sidesteering diode DL1. Similarly, the I/O terminal I/O2 is connected to theanode of the high-side steering diode DH2 and to the cathode of thelow-side steering diode DL2. The cathode terminal of the high-sidesteering diode DH1 is connected to a node N1 which is also the anode ofthe low-side steering diode DL2. The cathode terminal of the high-sidesteering diode DH2 is connected to a node N2 which is also the anode ofthe low-side steering diode DL1.

In the present embodiment, the low-side steering diodes of the TVSdevice 50 are each implemented using a punch-through silicon controlledrectifier structure as described above. The PT-SCR structure ensures lowcapacitance as seen by the I/O terminal coupled thereto. Furthermore, inthe present embodiment, the high-side steering diodes of the TVS device50 are each implemented using a MOS-triggered silicon controlledrectifier structure. The MOS-triggered SCR structure enables the TVSdevice to realize low breakdown voltage, such as less than 5V. Inparticular, the threshold voltage of the MOS transistor can be adjustedto achieve a low breakdown voltage for the TVS device.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inembodiments of the present invention. In particular, the TVS protectiondevice of FIG. 10 illustrates the construction of the TVS device 50 ofFIG. 9 in some embodiments. The cross-sectional view of FIG. 10illustrates circuit elements of the TVS device 50 including thehigh-side steering diode DH1 and the low-side steering diode DL2. It isunderstood that FIG. 10 illustrates only part of the TVS protectiondevice and that the TVS protection device includes other elements notshown in the cross-sectional view in FIG. 10.

Referring to FIG. 10, the TVS protection device 300 (“TVS device 300”)is fabricated on a P+ substrate 302. In the present embodiment, a P-typeepitaxial layer 304 is formed on the P+ substrate 302. Then, an N-typeburied layer (NBL) 306 are formed on the P-type epitaxial layer 304. AnN-type epitaxial layer (N-Epi layer) 308 is formed on the N-type buriedlayer 306. The semiconductor structure for forming the TVS device isthus constructed.

In the present embodiment, trench isolation structures 320 are used todefine and isolate regions of the semiconductor structure for formingthe separate circuit elements. In the present embodiment, the trenchisolation structures 320 are formed as oxide lined trenches filled witha polysilicon layer 318 and the trenches extend to the P+ substrate 302.In other embodiments, the trench isolation structures 320 can be formedas oxide filled trenches.

With the trench isolation structures 320 thus formed, regions in thesemiconductor structure for forming the high-side steering diode and thelow-side steering diode are defined. In the present embodiment, thehigh-side steering diode DH1 is formed as a MOS-triggered SCR structure.The SCR structure is formed by a PNPN structure including a P+ region310, the N-type epitaxial layer 308, a P-type compensation (P-Comp)region 314 and an N+ region 317. The P-Comp region 314 is floating, thatis, the P-Comp region 314 is not electrically connected to or biased toany electrical potential. An NMOS transistor is formed in the P-Compregion 314. In particular, a gate structure 330, including a gateelectrode and a gate dielectric layer, is formed above the P-comp region314 and is positioned between N+ regions 315 and 317 as the drain andsource regions. The N+ region 315 forms the drain region of the MOStransistor and is electrically shorted to the gate electrode of the MOStransistor. In this manner, the MOS transistor behaves as a gated diodeand current flows from the N+ drain 315 to the N+ source 317 when theMOS transistor is turned on. As thus configured, the MOS-triggered SCRprovides a diode voltage drop plus the threshold voltage of the MOStransistor. The threshold voltage of the MOS transistor can be adjustedto obtain the desired breakdown voltage for the TVS device 300. Inoperation, once the current flowing through the MOS transistor issufficient to turn on the SCR, the SCR conducts the current and the MOStransistor current is no longer relevant.

In the MOS-triggered SCR structure, a P+ region 319 is provided in theP-Comp region 314 to as the body contact region. The P+ region 319 iselectrically shorted to the N+ source region 317. Metal contact 324 ismade in the dielectric layer 322 to contact the P+ region 310 to formthe anode terminal of the MOS-triggered SCR. Meanwhile, a metal contact328 is made in the dielectric layer 322 to contact the N+ region 317 andP+ body contact region 319 to form the cathode terminal of theMOS-triggered SCR.

In embodiments of the present invention, the low-side steering diode DL2for the I/O terminal I/O2 is formed using a punch-through siliconcontrolled rectifier (PT-SCR) structure, as described above. Morespecifically, the PT-SCR structure is formed by a PNPN structureincluding a P+ region 311, the N-type epitaxial layer 308, the P-well316 and an N+ region 313. The N+ region 313 is formed inside the P-well316. The P-well 316 is floating, that is, the P-well 316 is notelectrically connected to or biased to any electrical potential. Themetal contact 328 is made in the dielectric layer 322 to contact the P+region 311 to form the anode terminal of the PT-SCR of the low-sidesteering diode DL2. Meanwhile, a metal contact 328 is made in thedielectric layer 322 to contact the N+ region 313 to form the cathodeterminal of the PT-SCR of the low-side steering diode DL2. By keepingthe P-well 316 floating, the capacitance as seen at the I/O terminal(node 328) is reduced. In particular, the P-well 316 to N-type epitaxiallayer 308 junction realizes low capacitance for the I/O terminal I/O2.

In some embodiments, the P-type compensation region 314 has a dopinglevel that is higher than the doping level of the N-type epitaxial layer308 but is lower than the heavily doped P+ region 319 used to make ohmiccontact to the P-Comp region 314. In some embodiments, the P-typecompensation region 314 has a doping level similar to the P-well 316 butthe P-type compensation region 314 may have a surface doping level thatis lower than the P-well 316 in order to tailor the threshold voltage ofthe MOS transistor. In alternate embodiments of the present invention,the P-type compensation region 314 can be formed as a P-well region,that is, having the same doping level as the P-well region 316. When aP-well region is used in placed of the P-type compensation region,surface doping may be used to adjust the doping concentration at thechannel region of the MOS transistor.

In alternate embodiments of the present invention, an N-well can beadded to the N-Epitaxial layer 308 of the PT-SCR device, in the samemanner as shown in FIG. 13 to increase the breakdown voltage of thePT-SCR device. Alternately, in other embodiments, an N-type compensationregion can be added to the N-Epitaxial layer 308 of the PT-SCR device,in the same manner as shown in FIG. 14 to increase the breakdown voltageof the PT-SCR device. Furthermore, in further alternate embodiments, anN-well can be added to the MOS-triggered SCR device, as shown in FIG.15. FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view of a TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 15,the TVS protection device 500 (“TVS device 500”) is constructed in thesame manner as the TVS device 300 of FIG. 10 except for the additionalN-well region 350 formed in the N-Epitaxial layer 308 of theMOS-triggered SCR. More specifically, the N-well region 350 is formedadjacent to the P-type compensation region 314. The N-well region 350can be added to increase the breakdown voltage of the MOS-triggered SCRdevice.

FIG. 11 is a circuit diagram of a bidirectional TVS protection device inalternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 11, aTVS device 70 includes two sets of steering diodes coupled to providesurge protection for two input-output (I/O) terminals I/O1 and I/O2.Each set of steering diodes include a high-side steering diode and alow-side steering diode.

In embodiments of the present invention, the low-side steering diodesDL1 and DL2 are constructed using the punch-through silicon controlledrectifier (PT-SCR) structure. Meanwhile, each of the high-side steeringdiodes DH1 and DH2 can be constructed using a PN junction diode, aPT-SCR structure, or a MOS-triggered SCR structure. The PN junctiondiode and the PT-SCR structure are described above with reference toFIGS. 2 and 3. The MOS-triggered SCR structure is described above withreference to FIGS. 9 and 10. As thus configured, the TVS device 70 canrealize low capacitance while optimizing the breakdown voltage of theTVS device and reducing the leakage current at the I/O terminal.

The above described embodiments illustrate various bidirectional TVSprotection devices. The punch-through SCR structure and theMOS-triggered SCR structure can also be applied to unidirectional TVSprotection devices in alternate embodiments of the present invention. Ina unidirectional TVS protection device, the high-side steering diode andthe low-side steering diode are coupled between the protected node andthe ground potential.

FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram of a unidirectional TVS protection devicein alternate embodiments of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 12,a TVS device 90 includes a high-side steering diode DH1 and a low-sidesteering diode DL1 connected back-to-back to the protected node (I/Oterminal) and ground. In particular, the anode of the high-side steeringdiode and the cathode of the low-side steering diode are connected tothe I/O terminal. Meanwhile, the cathode of the high-side steering diodeand the anode of the low-side steering diode are connected to the groundterminal.

In embodiments of the present invention, the low-side steering diode DL1is constructed using the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier(PT-SCR) structure. Meanwhile, the high-side steering diode DH1 can beconstructed using a PN junction diode, a PT-SCR structure, or aMOS-triggered SCR structure. The PN junction diode and the PT-SCRstructure is described above with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. TheMOS-triggered SCR structure is described above with reference to FIGS. 9and 10. As thus configured, the TVS device 90 can realize lowcapacitance while optimizing the breakdown voltage of the TVS device andreducing the leakage current at the I/O terminal.

The invention can be implemented in numerous ways, including as aprocess; an apparatus; a system; and/or a composition of matter. In thisspecification, these implementations, or any other form that theinvention may take, may be referred to as techniques. In general, theorder of the steps of disclosed processes may be altered within thescope of the invention.

A detailed description of one or more embodiments of the invention isprovided below along with accompanying figures that illustrate theprinciples of the invention. The invention is described in connectionwith such embodiments, but the invention is not limited to anyembodiment. The scope of the invention is limited only by the claims andthe invention encompasses numerous alternatives, modifications andequivalents. Numerous specific details are set forth in the followingdescription in order to provide a thorough understanding of theinvention. These details are provided for the purpose of example and theinvention may be practiced according to the claims without some or allof these specific details. For the purpose of clarity, technicalmaterial that is known in the technical fields related to the inventionhas not been described in detail so that the invention is notunnecessarily obscured.

The above detailed descriptions are provided to illustrate specificembodiments of the present invention and are not intended to belimiting. Numerous modifications and variations within the scope of thepresent invention are possible. The present invention is defined by theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A transient voltage suppressing (TVS) devicecomprising: a semiconductor layer comprising a first epitaxial layer ofa first conductivity type; a plurality of active regions formed in thesemiconductor layer, the active regions being isolated from each otherby isolation structures; a high-side steering diode formed in a firstactive region and having an anode terminal coupled to a first protectednode and a cathode terminal; a low-side steering diode formed in asecond active region of the plurality of active regions and having acathode terminal coupled to a second protected node and an anodeterminal; wherein the low-side steering diode comprises a punch-throughsilicon controlled rectifier, the punch-through silicon controlledrectifier comprising: a first doped region of a second conductivitytype, opposite the first conductivity type, formed in the firstepitaxial layer; a first well of the second conductivity type formed inthe first epitaxial layer spaced apart from the first doped region,wherein the first well is not biased to any electrical potential; and asecond doped region of the first conductivity type formed in the firstwell, wherein the first doped region, the first epitaxial layer, thefirst well and the second doped region form the punch-through siliconcontrolled rectifier, the first doped region forming the anode and thesecond doped region forming the cathode of the punch-through siliconcontrolled rectifier.
 2. The TVS device of claim 1, wherein thesemiconductor layer further comprises a second epitaxial layer of thesecond conductivity type and a first buried layer of the firstconductivity type formed on the second epitaxial layer, wherein thefirst epitaxial layer is formed on the first buried layer.
 3. The TVSdevice of claim 1, wherein the punch-through silicon controlledrectifier of the low-side steering diode further comprises: a thirddoped region of the second conductivity type formed in the first welland adjacent the second doped region, wherein the third doped region isnot biased to any electrical potential.
 4. The TVS device of claim 1,wherein the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier of the low-sidesteering diode further comprises: a second well region of the firstconductivity type formed in the first epitaxial layer adjacent the firstwell and positioned between the first doped region and the first well.5. The TVS device of claim 4, wherein second well region is not biasedto any electrical potential.
 6. The TVS device of claim 1, wherein thepunch-through silicon controlled rectifier of the low-side steeringdiode further comprises: a fourth doped region of the first conductivitytype formed in the first epitaxial layer apart from the first well, thefirst doped region being formed inside the fourth doped region, thefourth doped region being more lightly doped than the first doped regionand being more heavily doped than the first epitaxial layer.
 7. The TVSdevice of claim 1, wherein the high-side steering diode comprises aMOS-triggered silicon controlled rectifier formed in the first activeregion, the MOS-triggered silicon controlled rectifier includingalternating p-type and n-type regions and a diode-connected MOStransistor integrated therein to trigger the silicon controlledrectifier to turn on.
 8. The TVS device of claim 7, wherein theMOS-triggered silicon controlled rectifier comprises: a fifth dopedregion of the second conductivity type formed in the first epitaxiallayer; a sixth doped region of the second conductivity type formed inthe first epitaxial layer and being spaced apart from the fifth dopedregion, the sixth doped region having a lower doping level than thedoping level of the fifth doped region; a seventh doped region of thefirst conductivity type formed at least partially in the sixth dopedregion; an eighth doped region of the first conductivity type formed inthe sixth doped region and spaced apart from the seventh doped region;and a conductive gate formed above the semiconductor layer and insulatedfrom the semiconductor layer by a gate dielectric layer, the conductivegate being positioned between the seventh doped region and the eighthdoped region, wherein the conductive gate, the seventh doped region andthe eighth doped region form a MOS transistor with the sixth dopedregion being the body of the MOS transistor, the seventh doped regionbeing electrically connected to the conductive gate to form adiode-connected MOS transistor.
 9. The TVS device of claim 8, whereinthe fifth doped region, the first epitaxial layer, the sixth dopedregion and the eighth doped region form the silicon controlledrectifier, the diode-connected MOS transistor being turned on to triggerthe silicon controlled rectifier to turn on.
 10. The TVS device of claim8, wherein the sixth doped region has a doping level higher than thedoping level of the first epitaxial layer and lower than the dopinglevel of the fifth doped region.
 11. The TVS device of claim 8, whereina threshold voltage of the MOS transistor is adjusted to adjust abreakdown voltage of the TVS device.
 12. The TVS device of claim 8,wherein the MOS-triggered silicon controlled rectifier furthercomprises: a third well region of the first conductivity type formed inthe first epitaxial layer adjacent the sixth doped region and positionedbetween the fifth doped region and the sixth doped region.
 13. The TVSdevice of claim 1, wherein the high-side steering diode comprises a PNjunction diode.
 14. The TVS device of claim 6, wherein the high-sidesteering diode comprises a PN junction diode, the PN junction diodecomprising: a nineth doped region of the second conductivity type formedin the first active region of the first epitaxial layer; a fourth wellregion of the first conductivity type formed in the first epitaxiallayer spaced apart from the nineth doped region; and a tenth dopedregion of the first conductivity type formed in the fourth well, whereinthe nineth doped region, the first epitaxial layer, the fourth well andthe tenth doped region form the PN junction diode.
 15. The TVS device ofclaim 14, wherein the fourth well region has a doping level differentfrom the doping level of the fourth doped region.
 16. The TVS device ofclaim 1, wherein the high-side steering diode comprises: a plurality ofPN junction diodes connected in series, a first PN junction diode of theplurality of PN junction diodes having an anode terminal coupled to thefirst protected node and a cathode terminal coupled to the next PNjunction diode in the series, and a last PN junction diode of theplurality of PN junction diodes having an anode terminal coupled to thecathode terminal of a previous PN junction diode in the series and acathode terminal.
 17. The TVS device of claim 1, wherein the high-sidesteering diode comprises a punch-through silicon controlled rectifier,the punch-through silicon controlled rectifier including alternatingp-type and n-type regions where the n-type region between a pair ofp-type regions is substantially depleted at a bias voltage of zero volt.18. The TVS device of claim 1, wherein a portion of the first epitaxiallayer between the first doped region and the first well is depleted at abias voltage of zero volt.
 19. The TVS device of claim 1, wherein thefirst conductivity type comprises N-type conductivity and the secondconductivity type comprises P-type conductivity.
 20. The TVS device ofclaim 2, wherein the isolation structures comprises a plurality oftrench isolation structures isolating the active regions, each trenchisolation structures extending from the first epitaxial layer to thesecond epitaxial layer.